... and then we got married.

When someone asks if they can marry you
in times square
for free
all you can say is
yes.

Oh, Monday is a holiday because of the holiday? I love that.

And to think, I thought that this recession was a bad thing.
That was before I had the Gray's Papaya special.
2 hot dogs and some fresh squeezed pineapple juice was just what I needed.
Well, that, and a bike.

We rode them through the city
(sharing the street with a NYC taxi doesn't go over well
when you have no idea what you are doing)
and then all through Central Park!
It was by far the greatest thing I've done so far.
And the best work out I've gotten in at least 2 years.
Right before our bike ride
we discovered some fantastic hidden treasures...
refer to picture below


And then the homeless man came back.

now you see my hair..

now you don't.
I had the pitchfork in prime fighting position..
just in case.
Apparently I wasn't doing a good enough job at looking homeless.
I still don't really know what happened.
But the rest of the day followed with this

and then this

The Stardust Cafe is entertainment in it's purest form.
The servers are performers trying to make it on Broadway.
So as they serve you your food, they also sing all the classics.
We loved it!
I loved the whole day.

july 4th 2010

A bunch of us headed down to the pier
where we camped out by the water
(for 5 hours)
with blankets and snacks on the grass
waiting for the show in the sky.

(I wasn't quick enough with my camera to capture the festivities
so I turned to google)

since i didn't get a 4th of july last year
i was extra happy to celebrate it loud and proud.
Justin Beiber and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir were
the chosen entertainment for the celebration,
and I don't know why this collaboration wasn't thought of sooner!
It was also rumored that the entire twilight cast was in the city
celebrating our nations independence...
and I'm both proud and happy to say that I saw every single one of them.
With a bowl of popcorn in one hand and a diet coke in the other.
It was such an incredible and memorable celebration.
I think America is definitely more free in New York.

i left the city of lights to see them become man and wife.

it was a perfect day.
more to come

How do you know when you are on a flight to Utah?
The passengers are 78% children.
Half crying.
Strollers line the walkway to the plane.
And an occasional oh my heck bursts from a few rows back.
You will also get judgmental stares for watching anything other than the Disney channel on the plane TV.
And yet I still love my hometown
and everything that comes with it.
But it was worth the plane ride
because when I stepped out of the airport
I had cafe rio waiting for me at 1 am.
thanks mom
I had been craving it for weeks!
The next day was full of manicures
and Zupas, our favorite!

I think our fridge knew I was extra excited to see it.
and all of it's free contents.
which is why it broke the day before i came home.
so my little sister emily
took my mom and I on a date.
mini golfing.
It was great to see that
I'm not the only one who is horrible and mini golf
(ahem... mom).

I had a great day with the girls!

Manhattan Temple

I ran down block after block
with stare after stare
in heels
and even got stopped by police
to have my bag randomly searched.
probably because i looked like a maniac.
which is why
I'm pretty sure they were disappointed when all they found
was a temple recommend and strawberry chapstick.
But I finally made it before they closed
it was so good to see Rebbie there waiting for me
and I heard what I haven't heard in weeks:
nothing.
quietness.
and it was so worth the run.

oh.

I knew I would be blessed for going to all three hours of church on Sunday.
And when I came out from the edifying meetings of the Sabbath
this had just started.
The Gay Pride Parade
I learned 3 very valuable lessons from this.
1. Less is more when celebrating your sexual preference.
2. Animals have a right to express their sexuality as well
(refer to above)
And most importantly...

always wear socks.

Rockaway Beach

oh how i love the beach
mainly because the beach stays with you for weeks afterward.
in your shoes.
in your bags.
clothes.
the seams of your swimsuit.
it even manages to make its way into my room somehow.
maybe its because i brought home
inconveniently large shells
covered in sand.
yes, i am equivalent to a 5 year old with a shovel and pail
collecting sea shells by the sea shore.
But at least it was our own private sea shore!
there was no one there- and the beach was so beautiful
the weather was sunny and warm
with a slight ocean breeze
and propeller planes flying overhead
carrying banners behind them.
it was such a great day at the beach.
until we got home and realized
you are never too cool for sunscreen.

sometimes all you need is a sack lunch and
perfectly color coordinated hat and short attire.

we came home and walked a couple streets down
to the home of the best tacos i have ever eaten:
bario chino
and i also quite enjoyed my enchilada verdes.
i cant wait to go back and eat more tacos.

Oh. And P.s.

The sole of my shoe broke in half. I think this is the equivalent of when you sit on a bike and the tire goes flat. My eating has become much too excessive. I would like to blame the split on excessive exercise, however, I'm pretty sure it was my weight that did this one.

Meat Packing District

This is

Spice Market.
it was Mallorys last night
in the City of Lights
and this is where she chose
to partake of her last supper.
From the exterior,
it may look like any other Asian inspired,
overwhelmingly scented Thai restaurant.
However, I judged this book by it's Chinese symbolized cover
much too quickly.
As I walked in I was instantly captivated by its dim lighting and custom furniture.
The place was huge and the design was incredible!
I instantly felt ethnic.

We followed the hostess down the intricately hand carved wooden staircase
to the lower level.
We weaved through tables
looking for which might be ours.
We were lured into a dark hallway
and then she pulled back a blue silk curtain to reveal
our own private silk pillow filled room!
(note the flattened pillows, I was obviously spralled in the corner).

followed by an explosion of flavors for my taste buds..

after the feast of feasts
we were casually strolling
and we discovered an open door art exhibit.
so we let ourselves in
and it was phenomenal to say the least.
over scaled pieces
vinyl record artwork
Andy Warhol styled paintings
and iconic furniture
were all splattered with pink paint.


it was such a great discovery.
Afterward we trespassed into the lobby of the
Standard Hotel
and ventured 20 floors up to the
Boom Boom Room
only to head 20 floors back down.
the design was so great.

We were walking along the
highline
which is an old above ground railroad track
that runs along the west end of the city
and sat abandoned for years.
so they decided to turn it into a park.
On one side it overlooks the Hudson River
and on the other is the city.
as we were talking
and walking
one thing led to another
and i found out that they have
Grom
gelato here in NYC!!
I almost fell over.
it was my favorite in Florence, Italy last summer
(as seen here)
and now they import everything to their stores here!

It was even better than I remember.

Magnolia Bakery.

Dear Magnolia Bakery,
I love you.
And your banana pudding.
But I love your cupcakes the most.
Thank you to that one Sex and the City episode
which aired 5 years ago
and got everyone talking
so that I would hear about you
and get to indulge in your delectable desserts.
Love,
Lindsey

it all started with fuchsia spandex.

Due to my height
(who's to say good things don't come in 5'-3 1/2" packages?)
I have always been the one pushed to the front row of group photos and forced to awkwardly hunch to more clearly display those with lengthy more flattering poses.
But that's besides the point.
Christy and I met years ago.
And bonded during 5 am runs and competitive high kicks.

Last weekend she came to adventure with me!
We got brunch at the famous Katz's
and she let me eat her french toast
after I finished mine in Guinness World Record time.

We went to MAC
and improved the New York economy with our purchases alone.

And I found the perfect shade of plum for the fall.
I'm such a fall shopper.

We went on a quest to find ourselves some genuine
New York Cheesecake.
And we found some!
We are hoping we were just pessimistic about it
because we were divulging at 1 am.

but this lifted out spirits quite a bit...

Please try to look past the horrifying nails in need of some cheap Asian labor, in other words a manicure, and tell me that this Pinkberry delight doesn't make you wish Willy Wonka really could unite virtual with tangible.

As we were walking in Times Square
we were completely enthralled with the street artists.
Which is why I spent my last $14 to get this hat made.
And it's not even for me.
But i'm pretty sure it's recipient will deem it priceless.

And just look what I found on Canal Street!
This little baby turtle almost called my jail cell home..
until i came to my senses
and realized he would grow.
in which i case i decided he would lose all lovability
so i said my goodbyes early
instead of risking him a premature abandonment.

It was a nice little breath of fresh air
having her here in the city with me.
Come back again soon!